High River flood victims brace for snow melt
Days after a mandatory evacuation order was lifted, residents of the southern Alberta town of High River are already bracing for more flooding when the snowpack in the mountains begins to melt.
Last week, the town ordered the evacuation of 80 homes after more than 65 millimetres of rain caused the river to overflow its banks. The area was also flooded in 2008 and 2005.
Long-time High River resident Rhonda Saunders said the future flood threat depends on what happens in the Rockies.
"If they get a sudden melt in the mountains then we're going to get it down here," she said.
"But if we get a graduate melt in the mountains — hopefully we get rid of this stuff before that stuff comes down from the mountains."
High river resident Ziggy Valltins has seen the town hit by snowmelt before.
"If it gets warm — watch out. So don't put your rubber boots away. No, get bigger boots."
Heavy snow and colder temperatures than normal have built up a major snowpack in the Rockies, which feed most of the rivers in Alberta.
Exceptional spring
Meanwhile, Premier Ed Stelmach — who visited High River on Friday — said it's been a disastrous spring for Alberta.
"If we could just move this rainfall to the north, especially towards Wood Buffalo park where we have a massive fire continuing to burn — but you know, we experienced something in Alberta this year that was totally unprecedented."
As he surveyed flood damage in the community, Stelmach said there are government programs in place to assist flood victims — but was cautious about promising any additional money.
"There's various programs in place. We'd have to assess, and will assess, all of the damage," he said.
"This has been an exceptional year — fires in the north to flooding in the south — it started out kind of rough but I'm still optimistic things will settle down for the rest of the summer."
Stelmach praised emergency workers and citizens across the province for the way they've handled the string of fires and floods this spring.